In rematch of 2021 contest, V T Balram emerges victorious over minister M B Rajesh in Thrithala

Kochi: In one of the most closely watched contests in the assembly election, Congress leader V T Balram emerged victorious in Thrithala, defeating CPM leader and minister M B Rajesh in a high-profile political rematch. When the results were declared on Monday, Balram secured 76,427 votes, while Rajesh polled 68,042 votes. Balram won the constituency with a majority of 8,385 votes, marking a significant comeback for the Congress leader in the constituency.The result reversed the outcome of the 2021 assembly election, when Rajesh defeated Balram by a margin of 3,016 votes. The constituency gained statewide attention as both leaders are among the prominent political faces in Kerala.During the campaign, CPM highlighted the development activities and welfare initiatives undertaken by Rajesh during his tenure as minister and MLA. On the other hand, UDF focused its campaign on allegations of inefficiency against the LDF govt led by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The opposition campaign also raised several regional issues, including concerns of farmers and stalled projects that were initiated during Balram's tenure as MLA. Meanwhile, NDA candidate V Unnikrishnan Master secured 15,051 votes and the SDPI candidate received 1,746 votes. The result also echoed the trends from the recent local body elections in the assembly constituency, where UDF won five out of the eight panchayats. The victory marks Balram's third term as MLA since he was first elected from the constituency in 2011.